I'd like to start off with the Dharma Centre. The DC, as I perceive it, is to make a bridge to the Eastern Teachings and a bridge to the Western Teachings - a place where western and eastern teachings can come together. That's the Charter and despite this, that or the other, this is what people are obligated - obligated! - to fulfill - the charter. It makes a statement of purpose. A total, 'Planetary' vehicle, which is not east, not west, has to come into being!

Now, all this, in a nut-shell is what you want to be on about. The problem is - How do you get there? Get resource people from the Cognitive Sciences, Hyperspace, Transpersonal Psychology and the Tibetan Tradition etc for the latest, 'cutting-edges' views - Manjusri's sword! And the Tibetans have it. Vajrayana Teaching has it! They have the way to what you would call Transpersonal Experience. Mahayana, Right? Its there and it's a living tradition. And I insist that you respect the ancestors and respect this tradition because it's a living tradition.

You must bring them together and therefore you will fulfill the purpose of the Dharma Centre! You must have the right motivation - Relative Bodhicitta & Absolute Bodhicitta. You want to be a Dharma Centre - you've got the ideas! Hopefully by the year 2000 we'll have in place a viable - 'This Generation' - Vehicle for Transcendence!

Mind is becoming 'extra-terrestrial' very rapidly and the Dharma Centre must catch up! ... -- Namgyal Rinpoche - 1995 - [read more here or listen to the complete .mp3 recording here]

Now this is why I get so concerned about the Dharma Centre in Kinmount. Because it's supposed to be an environment for people, of Refuge! Not that the people there indulge themselves to the point where people who come lose creativity possibly; lose serenity; don't feel the sense of freedom and sometimes feel that the defilements are increasing, by getting embroiled in internecine or petty numbers.

And certainly I hope that the Dharma Centre doesn't give them that feeling, that they can't afford to go there! Ideally, what we would like for the Dharma Centre is not a price tag on everything, but that people, who genuinely want to unfold, are free to go there and get on with it - and not feel they have to worry, worry, worry, worry, worry about the financial level! … it's a feeling that you have to give, a sense of freedom to the being. It's a very important point, very important!

Q. Is there any way that some kind of specific guideline could be given to the Dharma Centre to allow that?

Well, I think they do have it, but people don't trust it. You see, anything happening at the Dharma Centre, as far as I understand it - should be only guidelines. It costs so much to house and feed, and there are bills. So I think people - may I say - can know that. But as far as I know, they wrote it out; that if you cannot do that - and maybe that should be even more emphasized - if you can't do that, please! Come! Anyway! We invite you to come anyway! - if you're a genuine aspirer! And that feeling should be given to people, so that the criterion of money is only a guideline and not a demand from the being.

Q. Is that the actual…?

What do we want? We don't want the money - we want the unfolded beings to transform the society! That's what we want.

So, I think teachings about money should be given. The Order and the - (if it could work), the Dharma Centre should work only on Dana - as in pure theory - should work only on gifts! Therefore, they can never charge anything.

They can suggest - discreetly, reverently, respectfully, to beings - the lay out; 'This is approximately what it costs to feed and house beings'. And put it as a question, 'What can you do?' Not, 'Oh well you can't attend this course because it costs x numbers of dollars'!

Q. Well that has been the impression a lot of times in the past…

Yes, but it's not there! I thought that it was written out fairly clearly - and you can at least draw the attention of the being to it; there is a paragraph that says 'if you haven't got it for some reason, do the best you can. That's all'.

The principle of Dana, which is 'Free Giving', transcends - if you practice according to the East - you do not say 'this course costs so much'! You can only say, 'we would like to raise this much per person', and so on.

But does that help you a bit? If you see some guideline which is something or other, you can - if you are good-hearted - ignore it. I wish they would stress that - and possibly they do.

It's not the money you've got to have; it's the good heart for development!

[Pause]

Put that in the box! [The Donations Box - editor]

Jesus again - 'Take no thought for the 'morrow'. Don't get so het up about the money level, and then your attendance; whether you've got it or you haven't got it, right?

I wanted to share these personal ideas with you. Did you record any of this today?

I did sir; if you want, I'll erase the tape…

Oh no, no, no, not at all. I don't want it erased, why not - It's a Statement of Truth! -- Namgyal Rinpoche - April 1 - 1991 [read more here or listen to the complete .mp3 recording here]

[After the discourse Rinpoche asked me to give a copy of this recording to the then DC Board to be used by them as a guide - which I did, immediately! Apparently it has not been passed on from Board to Board. Vision 2000 was also given to the Board.

Some time later I did discover the paragraph that Rinpoche referred to as already being written down. It was buried at the bottom of an obscure appendix, in the back of the DC Board's policy manual for directors. On the front page of the manual it was labeled: For Directors only - to be returned at the end of term of office, something like that. I have a 'pirate' copy, never having been on the board. If I can find it I will bring it. - Wesley..,]

"...I think that one thing that the Dharma Centre, at the centre, can do is - it's out in Nature - for young people, (children if you wish), and adults in particular, presumably because they are the inspirers of others - it's already there and Bancroft nearby and many other things - natural history studies!

It's made for that - and meditation and/or through art or through something or other, meditative religious path but, in addition, natural history. I could foresee introducing the children to come for a week of study of natural history plus some meditation surrounding other things from nature. I think that's what they should be doing. It is my personal, held opinion…" --Namgyal Rinpoche -March 23, 1991 [read more here or listen to the complete .mp3 recording here]

By the way, people have very negative views about themselves, always seeing themselves (and even the Lama), in terms of negative views, the sins, that they, would have done. But by and large, as far as this being is concerned, (I at least have the erroneous view); my morality is actually very, very good - sorry about! Because people have negative view they cannot get out of the trap of, 'they must be doing negative things because, I do negative things, so everybody else must do negative things!' [Laughter]; and you know, 'I have no respect for the precepts, so therefore they have no respect for the precepts'!

But they are guidelines. You see the fifth precept is about drink and drugs and I think that you have to feel that your intake is not harming you. Because that's involved also, with what comes forth from your being. And you are not attempting to drug other people - that's also very important. But there's something there I think that, before you go in, you have to have had clearance. Strangely, its best not take meditation as the cure of these allergies and so on, but that you've passed beyond that before you meditate.

*Because what I've seen with people, by the way, is that when they start to meditate they become more allergic. It spreads out and they become more and more paranoiac. So I think you have to get to the point where you feel that whatever intake you have is not drugging your system, it's actually benefiting your system. -- Bottom of page 5 & top of page 6 - Ottawa, March 23, 1991 [read more in .pdf or listen to the complete .mp3 recordings Morality & Ethics]